Small boat boarding apparatus



Sept- 2, 1969 A. o. AKERMANIS 3,464,517

SMALL BOAT BOARDING APPARTUS Filed June 20, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 SePt-2, 1969 A. o. AKERMANIS 3,464,517

SMALL BOAT BOARDING APPARTUS Filed June 20, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. A/VDHEY 0. AKEHMA/V/S BWM@ t A z510/wey Sept 2, '1969 A. o.AKERMANIS 3,464,517

SMALL BOAT BOARDING APPARTUS Filed June 20, 1968 l 4Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOR. ANDREY 0. AKERMAN/S BY@ 4 fw:

/Womey SePt- 2, 1.969 A. o. AKERMANIS SMALL BOAT BOARDING APPARTUS FiledJune 20, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNvENTR. NDREY 0l /(ERM/V/S nited StatesPatent O US. Cl. 182-97 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A small boatboarding apparatus has a telescopic ladder which through a hanger issupported at the upper edge of the boat hull. The hanger includes abracket support and a bracket which is movable between the oppositesides of the support. The ladder is inverted during movement of thebracket between the opposite sides of the support and a pin and slotarrangement is provided in the hanger to permit the inversion andmovement of the bracket. The ladder is collapsed at the inboard side ofof the hull and a device which is manipulatable by a swimmer at theoutboard side of the hull is provided for moving the ladder to itsoutboard boarding position. Also disclosed is a means for permanentlymounting the support component in the boat hull structure and whichenables the bracket component of the hanger to be attached and detachedat will to the boat hull.

The invention relates to a boarding apparatus for use with small boatsand in particular to one which could be used by swimmers for boardingsuch boats.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved boardingapparatus for use with small boats.

Water skiing and other aquatic activities that involve the use of smallpowered boats are becoming increasingly more popular today and requirereentry to the boat from the water by the participant. To facilitatesuch reentry, various boarding apparatuses are in use or have beenproposed but most of the apparatuses have one or more disadvantageswhich detract from their wide acceptance by the users and manufacturers.

Rope and other flexible ladders have the advantage that they can bestowed aboard the boat during nonuse and in a relatively compactedstate. Such ladders are difcult however for the swimmer to ascend andofen present dangerous situations when water conditions are such as tocause the boat to roll and pitch. In addition, the ilexible type laddersrequire considerable dexterity and effort during the ascent as comparedto the so-called rigid type ladders. The rigid type of ladder is lessdangerous and easier for the swimmer to use, since the rungs or steps,are rigidly spaced apart and the ladder side components are inexible.Consequently, the ascender is less likely to be thrown olf balance bypitching and rolling movements of the boat. One disadvantage to therigid type ladder, however, is the fact that substantial space isnormally required in order to stow the apparatus during nonuse.

The stowage problem with rigid apparatuses has been previouslyrecognized and among the solutions advocated is that of using a ladderhaving parts which telescope. Telescopic ladders although minimizing theproblem of stowage aboard the boat are nevertheless frequently diicultto handle and adequately set up for use. For one thing, with most wateractivities that do involve the use of a powered small boat, there isneed for at least one observer in the boat in addition to the driversince the observer is able to hang 'and remove the ladder from the hullwhen the needs arise. Without the observer, these functions are usuallycarried out by the boat operator,

and this of course leaves the boat unattended and creates dangeroussituations fon the potential boarder, especially when waters are choppyor so rough as to require skillful manipulation of the boat in order toattain a suitable pickup position with respect to the swimmer.

One object of the invention is to provide a boarding apparatus which hasa compact inboard stowage position and which can be manipulated by theswimmer at the outboard side of the boat so as to draw the boardingapparatus to an outboard position at which it can be ascended.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a boarding apparatusfor small boats that can be attached to the boat hull and which isprovided with a ladder assembly that can be moved between a stowedinboard position and a boarding position at the outboard side of thehull without the need for detaching the apparatus from the hull.

Yet another object is to provide an improved means for mounting boardingladders on boats and which permits the ladder to be moved betweeninboard and outboard positions and whereat in either position the ladderis relatively secure against movement relative to the boat.

Yet another object is to provide an arrangement for use in themanufacture of boats and which enables certain components of theboarding apparatus to be permanently embedded in the hull structure andwhereat a ladder assembly can be readily attached and detached from thehull structure.

lIn accord with one aspect of the invention, the boarding apparatus hasa hanger which is mounted at the upper edge of the boat hull andprovided with a movable bracket for carrying the ladder between aninboard stowed position and an outboard boarding position. The bracketis mounted on a support component of the hanger, and this support hasslotted components which aid in guiding the bracket between the oppositesides of the support. The bracket is connected by means which slide inthe slots during movement of the bracket and these connecting meanspermits the bracket to pivot and assume inverted positions at theextremes of movement of the bracket. The ladder is fastened to thebracket and in moving with the bracket is likewise moved betweeninverted positions at the opposite sides of the hull. The ladder ispreferably telescopic and provided with rigid sections that telescope byrelative sliding movement along the longitudinal axis of the ladder.Provisions are also made for securing the ladder against pivotalmovement at the stowed and boarding positions therefor and in thisrespect a slot and pin arrangement are provided for guiding the bracketand ladder between the inboard and outboard positions and for holdingcertain components of the apparatus in close proximity to the support atthe respective positions so as to avoid such pivotal movement.

One aspect of the invention has to do with a device that ismanipulatable by a swimmer and which is used to draw the ladder assemblyfrom its Stow position to its boarding position, the device being shownin the form of a flexible cord or rope length which can be grasped bythe swimmer at the outboard side of the hull. The length is so arrangedin the overall apparatus so as to enable a swimmer to lift the ladderout of its locked state at its stowed position and to a position atwhich the ladder is capable of being moved over the hull and into alocked state at the outboard side of the hull.

An additional aspect of the invention resides in a hull structureenabling the guide components of the hanger to be permanently embeddedin the hull structure and features a structure that permits connectingand disconnecting the ladder carrying bracket to the hull from theunderside of an internal rail in the boat structure.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of thisinvention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its organization and method ofoperation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, maybest be understood by reference to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a boarding apparatus ernbodying certainconcepts of the invention as the apparatus is seen with the ladderassembly in the stowed position on the hull of a small boat.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as seenfrom the outboard side of the boat hull.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as seenfrom the inboard side of the boat hull.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view through the apparatus and boat hull asgenerally seen along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat enlarged section view of a fragment of theapparatus as seen along the lines 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. l as theapparatus is seen on the boat hull with the ladder assembly in theoutboard boarding position therefor.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 6 andseen from the inboard side of the boat hull.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 as seenfrom the outboard side of the boat hull.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross sectional view taken generally along thelines 9 9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 9a is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 9a-9a ofFIG. 3 and illustrates the arrangement of certain telescoping componentsof the ladder assembly.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention andwherein certain guide component of the bracket support are embedded inthe boat hull structure, the ladder assembly and bracket components ofthe hanger being structurally the same as that shown in the priorembodiment and seen in the boarding position on the boat hull.

FIG. l1 is an enlarged elevational view of a fragment of the apparatusshown in FIG. 10 as seen from the outboard side of the boat hull, withcertain parts broken away to better illustrate the embedded parts.

FIG. 12 is a section view taken generally along the lines 12--12 of FIG.10.

FIG. 13 is a section view taken generally along the lines 13-13 of FIG.10.

FIG. 14 is a section view taken generally along the lines 14-14 of FIG.10, and

FIG. 15 is a section view taken generally along the lines 15-15 of FIG.10.

Reference is now made t0 the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS.1 through 9a inclusive and wherein the boarding apparatus is generallydesignated by the numeral 10 and shown in the form of an apparatus thatcan be attached and detached from the hull of the boat. The apparatus 10is illustrated as secured to the hull 11 of a small motorized boat 12that is equipped with an inboard extending side rail 13 at the upperedge 14 of the hull. The apparatus is depicted as attached to the sideof the boat but it would be obvious that the boarding apparatus may besecured elsewhere on` the boat, such for example, on a transom of theboat.

Boarding apparatus 10 comprises a ladder assembly 15, and a hanger 16which is equipped with a clamping device 17 for releasably seeming thehanger to the hull 11 in the illustration. Hanger 16 includes a bracket18 which is fastened to the ladder 15 and further includes a bracket 4support 19 on which the bracket is movable between the inboard 20 andoutboard 21 sides of the support.

structurally, the support component 19 of the hanger 16 includes a pairof U-shaped metal components 23 which are inverted in the supportstructure and rigidly spaced apart in a parallel arrangement by agenerally rectangular plate designated at 24. These metal components 23form 4the opposite ends 25 of the support and are provided with surfacerecesses 26 along their upper edges. These recesses are arranged toaccommodate the opposite ends of plate 24 and an overlying rubber mat 26which is secured to the upper side of the plate 24 so as to provide abetter foot grip when the plate is stepped on by the user of theboarding apparatus. Plate 24 is welded to the U-shaped components 23 atits opposite ends and is rolled downwardly along its edges at theinboard and outboard sides of the support. This provides rounded edges57 and 58 which better accommodate pivotal movement of the bracketbetween the sides and top of the support as Will be subsequentlydescribed.

Each U-shaped component 23 has an elongated midsection 28 which rests onthe upper edge of the hull 11 in the illustrated embodiment.Additionally, each component is provided with opposite end sections 29and 30 at the inboard and outboard sides of the support and which areformed integral with the tranversally arranged midsection 28 of thecomponent. These sections form depending legs 29 and 30 at the inboard32 and outboard 33 sides of the hull when the support is attached to thehull as is evident from the drawings.

The outboard legs 30 of the support components 23 are braced by anelongated rod 34 which is equipped with a pair of cylindrical elements35 made from resilient material such as rubber. Along with the outsidelegs 30 of the support, these resilient elements 35 bear against theoutboard side 33 of the hull when the support is clamped to the boatstructure.

The clamping device includes a clamping component which is carried oneach of the inboard legs 29 and which serves to bear against the insideof the hull immediately in front of the legs 29 and yet another clampingcomponent which is carried on a rod 39 that extends between therespective legs 29 of the support components 23. Each inboard leg 29 hasan internally threaded nut element 36- which is rotatably mounted on theleg. These elements 36 engage the threads of a headed screw element 37which is associated therewith. This screw element bears against theinboard side of the hull and by rotatably adjusting the nuts 36, more orless clamping pressure can be exerted on the hull so as to clamp thehull between the adjacent outboard leg and the head of the screw element37. It is deemed obvious that these components of the clamping device 17may be manipulated to facilitate removal of the support from the hull inthe embodiment under consideration.

The clamping device also includes a screw element 38 which is carried ona bent rod 39 that extends between the inboard legs 29 of the supportcomponent 23. The opposite ends of this rod 39 are journaled in alignedbores 40 in the inboard legs 29 so that the rod is capable of swingingon the axis provided thereby to facilitate proper orientation of theelement at the time the hanger is clamped to the hull. The rod 39 has aninternally threaded and centrally located knobular portion 41 in whichthe screw element 38 is threaded and this element 38 is arranged in theillustration so that it engages a block of wood 42 which is adopted totit beneath the internal side rail 13 and against the inboard side ofthe hull. The ends of rod 39 are retained in the bores 40 by headedscrew elements 43 that are axially threaded on the rod ends as seen inFIG. 5. The device involving screw element 38 serves to betterdistribute the stresses to the hull when a person is ascending theladder and it will be evident that various other means may be used forclamping the hanger support to the hull in lieu ofthe means describedherein.

The bracket component 18 of the hanger 16 includes an elongated plate 45which extends between the opposite ends 25 of the support 19. Plate 45has a pair of plate elements 46 which are welded to its opposite ends 47in a transverse arrangement. This provides a pair of lugs 48 at thesupport side of the bracket plate 45 and which laps the opposite ends 25of the support component of the assembled hanger and facilitates thebracket linkage with the guide component 23. The arrangement of theplate elements 46 is also such as to provide another pair of lugs 49 atthe ladder side of the bracket plate and these lugs 49 are used infastening the ladder assembly to the bracket.

As previously indicated, the bracket is not only movable between theinboard and outboard sides of the support but is inverted in the processof moving between its inbo-ard position 50 and its outboard position 51.To facilitate these movements, an elongated, end opening slot 53 isprovided in each of the end support components 23. These slots 53 arealigned at the opposite ends of the support 19 and extend transversallyof the hull edge 14 as is evident from the drawings. The connectionbetween the bracket and the support is accomplished in the illustrationby a pair of pins 54 which are threaded in the bracket lugs 48 and whichproject through the adjacent slots in the guide members 23. The pins arealigned at the opposite ends of the support and establish a pivot axis55 which is fixed with respect to the bracket so as to permit thebracket to pivot as the plate 45 traverses the outboard 57 and inboard58 edges at the top of the support. The slot arrangement in the guidecomponents 23 provides a means for guiding the retainer pins 54 as thebracket is moved between the opposite sides of the support, and eachslot 53, as seen in the drawings, is provided with depending extensions59 and 60 at the outboard and inboard ends 61 and 62 of the slot. Theseextensions permit the bracket to fall to positions at the opposite sidesof the support and at which substantial pivotal movement of the bracketabout the axis 55 is prevented because of the close proximity of thebracket plate to the adjacent arms of the side members at thesepositions. The extensions 59 and 60 thus permit the pin carrying bracketto fall into locked positions at the inboard and outboard sides of thesupport and at which posit-ion the ladder is more or less pivotallyimmobilized.

The ladder assembly includes a plurality of rigid sections that areadapted to telescope by relative sliding movement along the longitudinalaxis 64 of the ladder. Plate 45 is common to the bracket and the topsection 65 of the ladder 15. Section 65 includes a pair of boardinghandles 66 which are located at the opposite sides 67 of the section andwhich are fastened to the space lugs 49 by screw type fastenersdesignated at 68. These handles, as seen in FIG. 9, are arranged uprightwhen the ladder is located at its boarding position 70 and are invertedwhen the ladder 15 is located at its stowed position 71, shown in FIG.4.

Handles 66 are provided with elongated parallel grooves 69 which faceeach other in the section so as to enable the rigid section 72 nextthereto to slide telescopically into the space between the handles whenthe ladder is contracted. The grooves 69 extend the full length of eachhandle and are closed at the top end of the handle by metal caps 73 thatare fastened to the handle by screw elements 74. These caps 73 serve tostop sliding movement of the section 72 as the section is caused totelescope into section 65.

The rigid section 72 next adjacent the top section 65 includes a metalplate 78 which is rolled at its opposite edges 80 so as to providearcuate risers 75 at the opposite side 82 of the ladder section 72.These risers 75 are spaced apart and are adapted and arranged betweenthe handles of section 65 to provide a sliding fit in the grooves 69. Ahooked flange 76 is welded to the top edge 77 of plate 78 and in anarrangement such as to overlap the upper edge 79 of bracket plate 45.Flange 76 encounters the edge 79 when the ladder 15 is extended andserves to limit the sliding movement of section 72 in this respect.

The rolled edges of plate 78 are arranged to provide a pair of facinggrooves 83 in the ladder section 72. The rigid section 84 next adjacentsection 72 also includes a metal plate 85. Plate 8S is also rolled atits opposite edges and this provides a pair of spaced arcuate risers 87at the opposite sides 88 of the section 84. These risers 87 are spacedlapart and arranged to provide a sliding fit in the grooves 33 ofsection 72.

The top portion 90 of plate 85 is bent at a right angle to the generalplane of the ladder, as seen in FIG. 9, and this arrangement provides ahorizontal step in the section 84. The top and bottom of the stepforming plate portion 90 are covered with rubber matting material 91 toprovide a suitable foot grip and it will be noted that the plate portion90 has a cutout 89 to provide a suitable hand grip for the user of theapparatus.

Section 84 has a metal flange forming component 93 along the bottom edge92 of plate 85. This flange 93 is arranged to encounter the bottom edge94 of plate 78 when the sec-tion 84 is fully telescoped into section 72as is illustrated in FIG. 4. On the other hand, when the ladder 15 isextended, step forming plate 85 of the section 84 rests on a pair ofinwardly projecting lugs 95 that are provided at the edges of the plateand near the bottom of each riser 75 for section 72.

The rolled edges 86 of plate 85 are adapted and arranged to provide apair of facing grooves 97 in section 84, and the bottom section 96 ofthe ladder is also formed from a plate component 98. The opposite edges99 of plate 98 are also rolled to provide spaced risers 100| thatslidably iit in the grooves 97 of section 84. Plate 98 has a top portion101 which is also bent to provide another step in the ladder assembly.This portion, 101, like step portion 90, of section 84 is also coveredwith mats 102 that are provided with a cutout 103 that serves as a handgrip for the user of the apparatus. The bottom edge 104 of plate 98 onthe other hand, is rolled and covered with a mat 105 that provides arung type step for the user.

When the bottom section 96 of the ladder is telescoped into section 84,the step component 90 of section 84 is encountered by the step component101 of the bottom section, and thus serves to limit the relative slidingmovement between the sections as the ladder is collapsed. On the otherhand, when the ladder 15 is extended, as seen in FIG. 8, step component101 rests on a pair of inwardly projecting lugs 106 that are similar tolugs 95 and provided at the bottom of each riser 87 in section 84.

The plates of the various ladder sections are provided wi-th cutouts,generally designated at 107 and which serve to reduce the weight in theoverall assembly.

Movement of the ladder 15 from its boarding position 70, shown in FIGS.8 and 9, to its stowed position 71, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, may beaccomplished from the inside of the boat by first grasping the handles66 to lift the assembly 15. This elevates the bracket plate 45 and drawsthe connecting pins 54 upwardly in the outboard slot extensions 59 topositions a-t which the plate 45 can be caused to pivot around theoutboard edge 57 of the support. At this point in moving the ladder tofthe stowed position, the bracket 18 and the attached ladder may becaused to pivot in the direction of arrow 109 about the axis 55 providedby the pins 54 and until the ladder 15 is arranged in za more or lesshorizontal position, such as generally indicated at 110 in FIG. 9. Theladder 15 may be telescoped while it is at its boarding position 70, butit has been found most convenient to retract the rigid sections 72, 84and 96 into the top section 65 as the ladder rests in the horizontalposition generally shown at 110. This may be accomplished by simplygrasping, for example, the step component 101 of section 65 and pullingthis component in the direction of arrow 111 until the sections arefully telescoped. The assembly is then further drawn toward the inboardside of the boat 12, and as this happens, the ladder assembly moves overthe edge of the hull and the side rail 13 on bracket 18. During thisprocess, the connecting pins 54 slide in slots 53 of the guide component23 4and are guided during their movement from their positions at theoutboard side of the support to the inboard side thereof. When the pins54 reach the inboard ends 62 of the slots 53, the bracket 18 and ladderassembly 15 are again caused to pivot in the direction of arrow 112shown with respect to the broken line position for the ladder at 151. Atthis point, the bracket plate 45 is in ia position at which it can clearthe inboard edge 58 as the assembly is caused to pivot at the inboardside of the support, and upon completion of the pivotal movement here,the bracket 18 and ladder 15 fall downwardly and carry the retainingpins into the inboard slot extension 60 and whereat the ladder islocke-d in its stowed position therefor.

At the outboard boarding position 70, it will be evident that the rigidsections are held in a state of extension under the influence of gravityland that the telescoping sections are similarly held 4by gravity in astate of retraction when the assembly is at the stowed inboard position71. This result is accomplished of course by providing a h'anger for thetelescopic ladder which permits lthe ladder to be moved between its twopositions and simultaneously inverted during such movement.

Now the ladder can be manually manipulated from the inside of the boatto move it from its stowed position to its boarding position but oneaspect of the invention relates to a device which is embodied in theapparatus and enables a swimmer to draw the ladder assembly out of itsstowed position and into its boarding position without the need for aidfrom a passenger in the boat.

The device for accomplishing this is designated at 115, and is shown inthe form of a tlexible length of rope 116 which at one end 117, isequipped with a` hand grasp 118 that is located at the outboard side 33of the hull. The mat 27 on plate 24 is discontinuous along a transverseline generally intermediate the opposite ends of the support and therope length 116 extends over the support plate 24 and lies in thediscontinuity when the ladder is stowed. A small pulley 119 is mountedin an aperture 120 at the inboard edge 58 of the support plate. The ropeextends downwardly from the pulley land behind the bracket plate 45 whenthe ladder is in the stowed position and from behind the bracket plate45 it extends through an aperture 121 in the plate and to a position atwhich the other end 122 of the rope is tied, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6,at the upper edge 77 of plate 78.

Intermediate its opposite ends, rod 34 carries a small resilient element124 that has a bulbular portion 125 which is outwardly oiset from theaxis; of the rod 34. This bubular portion 125 has a vertical bore 126'and a slit that communicates with the bore. By parting the bulbularportion 125 along the slit 127, the rope length 116 can be passed intothe bore 126 and whereat the end of the rope is retained, as seen inFIGS. 3 and 4, until the need arises for a swimmer to use the device115.

To use the device 115 when the ladder is in the stowed position, theswimmer, in approaching the out- -board side 33 of the hull 11, merelyreaches up and grabs the hand grasp 118 at the end 117 of rope `116. Bypulling downwardly on the rope, the rope becomes disengaged from theresilient retainer 124 and sections 72, 84 and 96 are drawn upwardly inthe top section 65 as in the direction of arrow 129. When flange 76 ofsection 72 encounters the upper edge 79 of bracket plate 45, furthertension on the rope draws the top section 65 upwardly to the point atwhich the assembly 15 pivots about the axis of the retainer pins 54 andfalls to a generally horizontal position on the support. Further forceexerted on the rope 116 will then cause the assembly to be drawn to theouter edge 57. Here the assembly again pivots about the axis of pins 54and assumes an upright position as it falls downwardly at the outboardside of the hull land carries the pins 54 into the outboard extensions59 of the slots. During this last pivotal movement, section 84 and 96become extended under the iniluence of gravity and consequently, withthe ladder fully extended, it assumes a boarding position and can beascended by the swimmer.

Reference is now made to the embodiment shown in FIGS. l0 through 15. Inthis instance, the ladder assembly 15 land bracket 18 are structurallythe same as that described in the previous embodiment. In this instancehowever, the hanger support is formed by a pair of metal componentswhich are spaced apart along the rail and embedded in the hull structure31 of the boat 132 depicted in the figures.

The hull 131 of boat 132 illustrated, is of more or less conventionaldesign and has a top internal rail 133 which extends inboard from theupper edge 138 of the hull. The elements 130 are spaced apart on therail and extend generally transversally thereof. Each elements 130, asseen in the drawings, has a transversally extending channel or slot 135that opens at one side 136 of the element into a transversally arrangedgroove 137 in the upper face 138 of the rail. The slots 135, like thosein the previous embodiment, also have depending extensions 139 rand 140at the inboard 141 and outboard 142 ends of the slot 135. Theseextensions serve the same function as slot extensions described in theprevious embodiment. The grooves 137 are adapted and arranged toaccommodate the location and arrangement of the lug elements 48 of thebracket in the inal assembly.

The hull structure illustrated is made by well known resin impregnatingliber glass techniques and each of the metal elements is tied into thefiber glass structure of the hull rail by a pair of pins that are spacedapart on the transverse members and extend through suitable bores 146into the tiber glass structure, as seen in FIGS. 10 and 1.5. Between thegrooves 137 and adjacent the at sides 147 of the guide elements 130, therail structure is somewhat thicker so as to provide additional strengthat the mounting position for the hanger guide elements. This arrangementhas certain advantages in that it permits a hole 148 to be provided iatthe under side 149 of the rail adjacent each of the guides 130. The hole148 in each instance extends through the ber glass material at the atside 147 of the guide element and in an axial arrangement with a bore151 in the element 130 that communicates with the base of the inboardslot extension.

In assembling the boarding apparatus in this situation, the bracket isrst positioned on the hull with the lugs 48 extending into the grooves137 at the inboard side of the rail. The holes in the lugs 48 are thenaligned up with the bores 151 in the guide elements 130 and the retainerpins 150 are then passed through the holes 148 and bores 151 and screwedinto the lugs 48. To facilitate this, the pins may be provided withsuitable end sockets, not shown, for reception of a suitable tool forthis purpose.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that a boarding apparatusis provided wherein the apparatus need not be removed from the boat hullin order to be stowed in a compact condition and that a simple andeffective device is provided for yan assembly to draw the stowed ladderinto a Iboarding position without aid from a passenger in the boat.

While only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have beenshown and described by way of illustration, many modifications willoccur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that itbe understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover allsuch modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of thisinvention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. The combination comprising a boat hull having an upper edge, and aboarding apparatus which includes a hanger mounted on the hull at saidupper edge, and a ladder suspended from the hanger and `movable over theedge between a stowed position at the inboard side of the hull and aboarding position at ythe outboard side of the hull; said hangerincluding a support secured to the hull having inboard and outboardsides, a bracket supported by the support and movable thereon betweenthe inboard and outboard sides thereof, and connecting means carried bythe bracket and connecting the bracket to the support; said connectingmeans establishing Ia pivot axis which is iixed with respect to thebracket and movable therewith, and said ladder being fastened to saidbracket and adapted and arranged to be inverted by pivotal movementabout the pivot axis during its movement with the bracket between itsboarding position and its stowed position.

2. The combination in accord with claim 1 further comprising elongatedilexible means connected to the ladder and manipulatable at the outboardside of the hull to draw the ladder from its stowed position to isboarding position.

3. The combination in accord with claim 1 where said ladder has rigidsections that are telescopically slidable along the longitudinal axis ofthe ladder, and where said ladder is retained by gravity in a state ofextension at its boarding position and in a state of contraction at itsstowed position.

4. The combination in accord with claim 1 where said support comprises apair of components which are spaced apart along said edge and haverespective elongated slots that extend transversally of the edge, wheresaid connecting means includes a pair of pins located in the respectiveslots and being slidable between the opposite ends of the slots duringmovement of the ladder between its boarding and stowed positions, andwhere said pins are axially aligned and establish said pivot axis.

5. The combination in accord with claim 1 where said support comprises apair of components which are spaced apart along said edge, each of saidcomponents including an elongated slot having opposite ends and arrangedtransversally of the edge, where said connecting means includes a pairof pins located in the respective slots and being axially aligned andslidably movable between said opposite ends, where each of the slots hasdepending extensions at the opposite ends thereof, where said pins areadapted to fall into the extensions at said ends and thereat supportsaid bracket against substantial pivotal movement about said pivot axis.

6. The combination comprising a boat hull having an upper edge and aninwardly extending rail at said upper edge, a pair of elongatedcomponents extending transversally of the edge, said components beingspaced apart and embedded in the rail structure, said rail having anupper face and a pair of transversally extending grooves in said face,each of said grooves being located at one side of one of said componentsand said one side having an elongated slot extending transversally ofthe rail and which is open into the groove adjacent thereto, a bracketat the face of said rail having a pair of lugs extending into therespective grooves, each of said lugs having pin means connected theretoand extending into the slot in the component adjacent thereto, each ofsaid components having a bore in the other side of the component, whichcommunicates with the slot in the component, said rail having openingswhich communicate with the respective bores in the components and alsowith the underside of said rail; said pin means being connectable withthe lug associated therewith by passage through the rail opening andbore adjacent such lug, said bracket being movably connected to thecomponents by said pins and movable between positions at the oppositesides of said rail, and ladder means fastened to the bracket and movabletherewith between a boarding position at the outboard side of the railand a stowed position at the inboard side of the rail, said ladderhaving rigid sections adapted to telescope and being telescopicallyextendable and contractable, and said pins providing an axis for pivotalmovement of the ladder during movement between its boarding position andits stowed position whereby the ladder is extended at its boardingposition and collapsed at its stowed position.

7. A boarding apparatus for small boats comprising a ladder, and ahanger adapted and arranged to rest on an upper edge of the boat hullincluding a support having opposite sides, releasable means for clampingthe support to the hull, and a bracket fastened to the ladder andmovable relative to the support for suspending the ladder at positionsrespectively at said opposite sides, said support including a pair ofspaced components having respective elongated slots that are paralleland extend between said opposite sides, said bracket having a pair ofpins which are carried by the bracket and slidably movable in therespective slots of said components, and said ladder being invertedduring movement between said positions by pivotal movement about an axisestablished by said pins, and said ladder having telescopically slidablerigid sections adapted and arranged to be held by gravity in a retractedstate at the other of said positions; said apparatus further comprisingelongated flexible means connected to the ladder and adapted to extendover the support when the ladder is in said one of said positions, andsaid flexible means having an end manipulatable to draw the ladder fromsaid one position to the other of said positions.

8. The combination comprising a boat hull having an upper edge, asupport having opposite sides and a pair of components which are spacedapart and resting on said edge, releasable clamping means clamping saidsupport to the hull, each of said components having an elongated slothaving opposite ends respectively located adjacent said opposite sidesand arranged in parallel alignment with the slot in the other of thecomponents, a bracket having a pair of pins which engage the respectivecomponents in the slots thereof, said bracket being movable between theopposite sides of said support and said pins being slidable with thebracket between the opposite ends of said slots and providing an axis ateach of the opposite ends for pivotal movement of the bracket thereat, atelescopic ladder which is extended and suspended from the bracket atone of said opposite sides and in a boarding position at the outboardside of the hull, said ladder being movable with the bracket to theother of said opposite sides and inverted by pivotal movement about anaxis established by said pins, and said ladder comprising rigid sectionsadapted to telescope and to be held by gravity in a retracted state atsaid other of said opposite sides.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,971,601 2/ 1961 Fortune 182-973,052,896 9/1962 Beach 182--97 3,055,452 9/ 1962 Bourdunis u 182,--95

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 182-195

